T he East African Community (EAC) legal and policy framework for agricultural development has been established and is provided for under several key doc- uments; the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC, EAC Customs Union, and EAC Common Market Protocol among others. In particular, Article 45 (3) (b) and (c), of the EAC Common Market Protocol stipulates cooperation in Agriculture and Food Security, especially in plant breeding and promotion of production and distribution of quality seeds. Further, Article 38 (c) of the EAC Customs Union provides for cooperation in other areas including Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures. The provisions call for existence not only of a specific harmonized policy to address the seed sub-sector, but also create the dire need for a harmonized legal framework. This would definitely be a catalyst for intra-regional trade as well as a major step towards availability of quality seeds by farmers. This framework is in conformity with the initiatives to harmonize regional trade in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern Africa Development Cooperation (SADC) including the Africa Food Security Framework of the African Union (AU), and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). However, the regulatory capacity in the EAC to meet both international and regional standards as well as integration of other regional efforts to promote trade is still low. The EAC policy recognizes the need for appropriate regional legislative and regulatory frameworks for ease of regional trade and enhancement of the partnership. Currently, the East African Partner States have their own national legislation, regulations, policies, standards and institutional arrangements to facilitate and regulate the seed sector. However, progress made in putting in place governance instruments for the seed sector varies sig- nificantly across the region. The need for a harmonized EAC seed legislative framework is premised on the need to promote intra-regional trade as well as access to quality seeds by farmers. To a certain extent, har- monized procedures in the region have been developed in col- laboration with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and this stimulated the initiatives undertaken by Partner States to start the harmonization process. This has involved a review of their seed policies, and their legislation and institutional framework. Specifically, the differences are reflected in the nature of poli- cies, laws, regulations and registration procedures which essen- tially hinder movement of seeds across the borders in the region. These differences in policy and regulatory framework in the EAC translate into high costs of doing business in the seed sector. The high costs make it difficult for investors to provide the quantity, quality and validity of seed needed to support an expanding agricultural sector in the region. BOOSTING Regional Seed Trade HOW THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY IS HARMONIZING SEED REGULATIONS. BY: EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY SECRETARIAT 20 I EUROPEAN SEED I EUROPEAN-SEED.COM